When Amy and Hunter Huffman, owners of Mesquite at the Warehouse, bought the space that previously housed a feed store and then a cafe, the first thing they did was ask questions of people who loved those old spaces. “We asked, ‘What do you remember about this place when it was a feed store? When it was a cafe?’ They all said, ‘You see your friends there. You felt welcomed and warm,’” Amy said. “We’ve tried to incorporate that casual environment. It’s all about bringing people together. Already people will come here, see their friends, and we’ll push tables together.”
Food is always associated with memories, and that’s what the menu at Mesquite invokes. Lunch and dinner (and soon, breakfast) are Southern, inspired by timeless favorites with a twist. “When people bite into it, they close their eyes and they feel something. They think of their mamaw and feel the comfort of being back in her house. We don’t try to invoke it — it just happens,” Amy said.
The goal is to gather community around good food. “When you put those two things together, it’s a magical experience,” Amy said. She thinks that even when people are not from the South, often they have family who were or who cooked that way. Or they ate Southern food on vacation. “It seeps into everyone’s culture,” she said. But the cuisine also appeals to true Southerners. “We had a girl come from Louisiana the other day, and she said, ‘This is the best catfish I’ve ever had, and I’ve had catfish a thousand time in my life,’” Amy said. “It’s our fish and chips that brings people the most ‘oh my gosh’ moments.”
Mesquite is a scratch kitchen, under Hunter, who serves as executive chef. The only items brought in are bread and barbeque sauce — Dean’s Original Honey Mesquite BBQ Sauce, from South Bay Abrams, a food distribution company owned by Amy’s grandfather. As a chef, Hunter has cooked in Michelin-caliber restaurants in Denver, San Fransisco, London, and Germany. His parents helped develop his palate from a young age. “They always loved food and travel, and they’d always take the kids. They wanted to expose them to good food,” Amy said. “There are pictures of Hunter at age 10, eating at Chez Panisse.”
When people bite into it, they close their eyes and they feel something. They think of their mamaw and feel the comfort of being back in her house. We don’t try to invoke it — it just happens.
– Amy Huffman
In fact, it was Hunter’s parents who convinced the Huffmans to relocate to the Hill Country from Colorado. “My parents fell in love with Fredericksburg and wanted us to come down. We were looking for a good place to raise kids,” Hunter said.
Amy also came from a food-loving family, with her grandfather’s company and her father’s cafe in Southern California. She went to culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu and worked as a pastry chef. Amy and Hunter met when they both worked at the Kimpton Hotel Monaco in Denver. Amy won the prestigious Zagat Award as a top chef under 30 in 2014, and her wedding cakes were named best in Colorado by both WeddingWire and The Knot.
Currently, with three kids ages 6 and under, she’s not doing a lot of baking. “I don’t have the bandwidth now, but once they’re all in grade school, maybe I’ll open a pastry shop,” Amy said.
The Huffmans have noticed a culinary change happening in Fredericksburg. More visitors who have a broad array of food experiences are coming, and they want to replicate that quality and diversity when they travel. “We have this niche here in the Hill Country—even in the last two years people are discovering this hidden gem, with the wine that’s so great and now food to match,” Amy said. “At the same time we’re honoring what the town is and respecting the history.”
She says it’s not just out-of-town guests who love Mesquite’s food. “We’ve got locals who have been here five generations. They like the large portions — the sandwiches are on a demi baguette, and it’s stacked high,” she said. “People come in and eat a salad and read their book. Or come to the gathering table and do a Bible study. Or work on a laptop at the bar.”
Mesquite opens at 11 a.m., Wednesday through Sunday, and closes at 9 a.m. weeknights and 10 p.m. on weekends. Patrons can eat in or takeout. Orders can also be placed online for pickup, or they will be delivered to your door. Happy Hour is from 3-6 p.m., with Southern-inspired cocktails, small bites, and Mesquite’s signature margaritas.
The restaurant now caters — whether it’s an event hosted at the restaurant or delivered. And when you’re too tired to cook, try the Family Night Box option: brisket, ribs, sausage, cornbread, coleslaw, potato salad, and homemade pickles for $100.
In 2025, Mesquite will host wine dinners. “We’ll do at least one a month with a local winery. We’re starting with Ferris & Fletch. The winemaker will come and talk about everything they do,” Hunter said. A Sunday supper club, with a fixed three-course family-style meal, will be held the last Sunday of the month.
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